www.CostaRicaTicas.com

No Wit, little man would be hombrecito. My brother & me used to call our father papi up until the day he died. To me, it's the equivalent to daddy. My daughters call me daddy, but only when they're in good mood!

Most people in the Caribbean don't have issues with the race thing, and they don't try to sugarcoat it with "political correct" names. Black is black. What do you picture in your mind when you hear "Joe is African-American", in my case, I picture a black Joe. People just have to grow up.

I grew up and still live in a ethnically mixed area in Brooklyn and when I was growing up, the hispanic K*ds would call blacks moreno and morena (masculine and feminine, resp.), which means "dark".

It was more of a descriptive word than derogatory.

Several years ago I was seeing a young lady in Costa Rica on a fairly regular basis. She had a beautiful 7 year old daughter, Alexandra, who I was extremely fond of. Alexandra would call me "Papi" which I had assumed meant she was referring to me as a father [which was fine with me]. However, when I told this to my Spanish speaking, Gringo friend, who was staying at the same hotel as me, and who had been twice married to Ticas, he told me that she was not referring to me as a father, but was using the word "Papi" as an affectionate term that meant she was very fond of me. Anyone familiar with the local dialect care to comment?

Zebra

In Costa Rica you can use ‘Papi’, as a guy informally addressing any other guy you don’t know. No Tico will take offense in this context; especially young Ticos will take it as a sign of respect from an older man. ‘Mami’ will get the attention of any waitress in CR without offence.

Another term my GF uses a lot for the same situation is ‘Tito’ or ‘Tita’. Perhaps better with a stranger, but either one will get you a beer or whatever, and a smile.

Pura Vida

Goldenboy welcome to the board. When you ask a question here you will get all information you need. The members here are very knowledgeable. There is a vast supple of information available. My first month I spent reading and learning, and I still do research before asking a question. See you in the gulch.

Would these not be the affectionate terms for an uncle or aunt? Tio more formal; tito more affectionate. Same for Tia and Tita.

Technically yah I guess they would be…All I know is: everybody she doesn’t know by name is Tito.

The verb ‘regalar’ means give a gift – and how many times do you hear Ticos say ‘ regalame una cervezita etc. etc.’? Mexican waitresses in my home town looked at me like “phuck off” when I tried that on them.

Tico Spanish is a little different.